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New Mexico's First Secretary of State

Antonio J. Lucero - 10/06/1863 - 06/06/1921 - was New Mexico's first Secretary of State, from 1912 when New Mexico became a state, to 1916. Secretary Lucero was born thirty-five miles southwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico, near the Pecos River. His family later moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where Antonio earned his education.

Before becoming New Mexico's first Secretary of State, he worked as clerk in a dry goods store from 1884-1888. Antonio later became the editor of a Spanish-language publication called, La Voz del Pueblo. Subsequently, he became a Spanish-language professor at East Las Vegas High School and the New Mexico Normal University (which became Highlands University in 1941).

A leader in the Democratic Party, Antonio was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 1903. In 1912 he was elected New Mexico Secretary of State; and in 1916 he was re-elected to a second term.

Upon completion of his second term, Antonio returned to his hometown of Las Vegas, New Mexico, returned to teaching, and became President of La Voz del Pueblo. Antonio also served as the first prohibition director in New Mexico. In 1920, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for United States Congress. On June 6, 1921, Antonio passed away at his home.

*Special thanks to New Mexico State Historian Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez for assisting our office with this important historical information.

New Mexico's Past Secretaries of State

Antonio Lucero

Manuel Martinez

Soledad C. Chacon

Jennie Fortune

E. A. Perrault

Marguerite P. Baca

Elizabeth F. Gonzales

Jesse M. Gonzales

Cecilia T. Cleveland

Alicia Valdez Romero

Beatrice Roach Gottlieb

Natalie Smith Buck

Betty Fiorina

Alberta Miller

Ernestine Duran Evans

Shirley Hooper

Clara Padilla Jones

Rebecca Vigil-Giron

Stephanie Gonzales

Mary Herrera

Dianna J. Duran

Terms Served by New Mexico's Past Secretaries of State

(1912-Present)

The following historical chronology of New Mexico's Secretaries of State was researched and compiled by Dan D. Chávez, Ph.D., UNM Professor Emeritus.

Five-Year Term1

TERM

YEARS

SECRETARY

PARTY

5 years

1912-1916

Antonio J. Lucero

Democrat

Two-Year Terms

TERM

YEARS

SECRETARY

PARTY

2 years

1917-1918

Antonio J. Lucero

Democrat

2 years

1919-1920

Manuel Martinez

Republican

2 years

1921-1922

Manuel Martinez

Republican

2 years

1923-1924

Soledad C. Chacón

Democrat

2 years

1925-1926

Soledad C. Chacón

Democrat

2 years

1927-1928

Jennie Fortune

Democrat

2 years

1929-1930

E. A. Perrault

Republican

2 years

1931-1932

Marguerite P. Baca

Democrat

2 years

1933-1934

Marguerite P. Baca

Democrat

2 years

1935-1936

Elizabeth F. Gonzales

Democrat

2 years

1937-1938

Elizabeth F. Gonzales

Democrat

2 years

1939-1940

Jessie M. Gonzales

Democrat

2 years

1941-1942

Jessie M. Gonzales

Democrat

2 years

1943-1944

Cecilia T. Cleveland

Democrat

2 years

1945-1946

Cecilia T. Cleveland

Democrat

2 years

1947-1948

Alicia Valdez Romero

Democrat

2 years

1949-1950

Alicia Valdez Romero

Democrat

2 years

1951-1952

Beatrice Roach Gottlieb

Democrat

2 years

1953-1954

Beatrice Roach Gottlieb

Democrat

2 years

1955-1956

Natalie Smith Buck

Democrat

2 years

1957-1958

Natalie Smith Buck

Democrat

2 years

1959-1960

Betty Fiorina

Democrat

2 years

1961-1962

Betty Fiorina

Democrat

2 years

1963-1964

Alberta Miller

Democrat

2 years

1965-1966

Alberta Miller

Democrat

2 years

1967-1968

Ernestine Durán Evans

Democrat

2 years

1969-1970

Ernestine Durán Evans

Democrat

One Four-Year Term

TERM

YEARS

SECRETARY

PARTY

4 years

1971-1974

Betty Fiorina

Democrat

4 years

1975-1978

Ernestine Durán Evans

Democrat

4 years

1979-1982

Shirley Hooper

Democrat

4 years

1983-1986

Clara Padilla Jones

Democrat

4 years

1987-1990

Rebecca Vigil-Girón

Democrat

4 years

2007-2010

Mary Herrera

Democrat

Two Consecutive Four-Year Terms

TERM

YEARS

SECRETARY

PARTY

4 years

1991-1994

Stephanie Gonzales

Democrat

4 years

1995-1998

Stephanie Gonzales

Democrat

4 years

1999-2002

Rebecca Vigil-Girón

Democrat

4 years

2003-2006

Rebecca Vigil-Girón

Democrat

4 years

2011-2014

Dianna J. Duran

Republican

4 years

2015-2018

Dianna J. Duran

Republican

Notes

Since the first state election was held in 1911 (an odd-numbered year), the first Secretary of State (and the other state executive officers) served a five-year term.

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